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Fort Lee, New Jersey
}} |subdivision_name1 = |subdivision_name2 = Bergen |government_type = Borough |government_footnotes = |governing_body = Borough Council |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Mark Sokolich (D, term ends December 31, 2015)2015 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, as of October 20, 2015. Accessed December 10, 2015. |leader_title1 = Administrator |leader_name1 = Peggy E. ThomasBorough Administrator's Office, Borough of Fort Lee. Accessed June 30, 2012. |leader_title2 = Clerk |leader_name2 = Neil GrantBorough Clerk's Office, Borough of Fort Lee. Accessed June 30, 2012. |established_title = Incorporated |established_date = March 29, 1904 |named_for = Fort Lee / General Charles Lee |unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = 2010 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey County Subdivisions, United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 21, 2015. |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 7.478 |area_land_km2 = 6.581 |area_water_km2 = 0.898 |area_total_sq_mi = 2.888 |area_land_sq_mi = 2.541 |area_water_sq_mi = 0.347 |area_water_percent = 12.00 |area_rank = 342nd of 566 in state 29th of 70 in county |population_as_of = 2010 Census |population_footnotes = DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Fort Lee borough, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 5, 2012.Table DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Fort Lee borough, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed February 5, 2012. |population_total = 35345 |population_rank = 67th of 566 in state 3rd of 70 in countyGCT-PH1 Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – State – County Subdivision from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2012. |population_density_km2 = 5371.0 |population_density_sq_mi = 13910.9 |population_density_rank = 16th of 566 in state 5th of 70 in county |population_est = 37026 |pop_est_as_of = 2014 |pop_est_footnotes = |timezone = Eastern (EST) |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = Eastern (EDT) |utc_offset_DST = -4 |elevation_footnotes = , Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 5, 2013. |elevation_m = |elevation_ft = 289 |coordinates_type = region:US_type:city |coordinates_region = US-NJ |coordinates_display = inline,title |coordinates_footnotes = US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014. |latd = 40.85064 |longd = -73.971007 |postal_code_type = ZIP code |postal_code = 07024Look Up a ZIP Code for Fort Lee, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed September 26, 2011.Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed August 28, 2013. |area_code = 201Area Code Lookup – NPA NXX for Fort Lee, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed October 13, 2013. |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 3400324420American FactFinder, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed October 9, 2012. |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 0885223US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014. |website = |footnotes = }} , connecting Fort Lee (above) in Bergen County across the Hudson River to New York City, is the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge.George Washington Bridge, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Accessed July 8, 2014.Woodruff, Bob; Zak, Lana; and Wash, Stephanie. "GW Bridge Painters: Dangerous Job on Top of the World's Busiest Bridge", ABC News, November 20, 2012. Accessed August 31, 2015. One of two 47-story residential skyscrapers, Bergen County's tallest, is seen under construction near the gateway to the bridge in December 2013.Tat, Linh. "Luxury Fort Lee high-rise transforms Bergen County skyline", The Record (Bergen County), November 19, 2013. Accessed July 8, 2014. "When The Modern is completed, it will feature the tallest structures in Bergen County — two 47-story glass-encapsulated residential towers, which proponents are hailing as a gateway into the region."]] Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, in the New York City Metropolitan Area, situated atop the Hudson Palisades. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 35,345, reflecting a decline of 116 (−0.3%) from the 35,461 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 3,464 (+10.8%) from the 31,997 counted in the 1990 Census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed June 30, 2012. The borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge and is located across the Hudson River from the Manhattan borough of New York City. Named for the site of an early American Revolutionary War military encampment,Hutchinson, Viola L. [http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=13 The Origin of New Jersey Place Names], New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 31, 2015. it later became the birthplace of the American film industry. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.888 square miles (7.478 km2), including 2.541 square miles (6.581 km2) of land and 0.347 square miles (0.898 km2) of water (12.00%). The borough is situated atop the escarpment of the Hudson Palisades on the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson rivers. The borough is bisected by the confluence of roads at GWB Plaza leading to the George Washington Bridge. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Coytesville, Palisade and Taylorville.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.Leahy, Michael. [https://books.google.com/books?id=W2onYcLQja8C&pg=PA392 If You're Thinking of Living In...: All About 115 Great Neighborhoods In & Around New York], p. 392. Crown Publishing Group, 2007. ISBN 9780307421074. Accessed May 27, 2015. The borough borders Cliffside Park, Edgewater, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield.Areas touching Fort Lee, MapIt. Accessed January 6, 2015. and the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan. Given its evolving cosmopolitan ambiance and adjacent proximity to Manhattan, Fort Lee is one of Northern New Jersey's Hudson Waterfront communities that has been called New York City's Sixth Borough,Tat, Linh. "Fort Lee grapples with questions on future development", The Record (Bergen County), June 12, 2012. Accessed December 7, 2013. "FORT LEE - Bedroom community. Sixth borough of New York City. Gateway to Bergen County."Haller, Vera. "Close to the City, but With a Life of Its Own", The New York Times, September 7, 2012. Accessed December 7, 2013. "Fort Lee has the suburban feel of a New Jersey town with the ethnic diversity of a New York City neighborhood. Some residents call it the city’s sixth borough." History Colonial era are a prominent feature of the borough of Fort Lee, with several over 300 feet tall.]] Fort Lee is named for General Charles LeeLefkowitz, Melanie. Bergen County's Fort Lee: Town With a View, The Wall Street Journal. April 30, 2011. Accessed July 8, 2014. "The cliff-top 33-acre Fort Lee Historic Park, on a Revolutionary War fort site named for Gen. Charles Lee from whom the borough also takes its name, offers educational programs as well as bridge and river views." after George Washington and his troops had camped at Mount Constitution overlooking Burdett's Landing, in defense of New York City. It was during Washington's retreat in November 1776 (beginning along a road which is now Main Street) that Thomas Paine composed his pamphlet, The American Crisis, which began with the recognized phrase, "These are the times that try men's souls." These events are recalled at Monument Park and Fort Lee Historic Park. Formation Fort Lee was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 29, 1904, from the remaining portions of Ridgefield Township.Snyder, John P. [http://www.state.nj.us/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/bulletin67.pdf The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968], Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 78. Accessed February 14, 2012."History of Bergen County", Vol. 1, pp. 361–364 shows a creation date of April 18, 1904, for Fort Lee. With the creation of Fort Lee, Ridgefield Township became defunct and was dissolved as of March 29, 1904.Municipal Incorporations, Extinct List p. 81. The Fort Lee Police Department was formed under borough ordinance on August 9, 1904, and originally consisted of six marshals.History, Fort Lee Police Department. Accessed December 7, 2013. "The Fort Lee Police Department was originally formed by ordinance on August 9, 1904. During this time, the council appointed six marshalls." America's first motion picture industry The history of cinema in the United States can trace its roots to the East Coast where, at one time, Fort Lee was the motion picture capital of America. The industry got its start at the end of the 19th century with the construction of Thomas Edison's "Black Maria", the first motion picture studio in West Orange, New Jersey. New Jersey offered land at costs considerably less than New York City, and the cities and towns on the North River (Hudson River) and Hudson Palisades benefited greatly as a result of the phenomenal growth of the film industry at the turn of the 20th century.Kannapell, Andrea. "Getting the Big Picture; The Film Industry Started Here and Left. Now It's Back, and the State Says the Sequel Is Huge.", The New York Times, October 4, 1998. Accessed December 7, 2013.Amith, Dennis. "Before Hollywood There Was Fort Lee, N.J.: Early Movie Making in New Jersey (a J!-ENT DVD Review)", J!-ENTonline.com, January 1, 2011. Accessed December 7, 2013. "When Hollywood, California, was mostly orange groves, Fort Lee, New Jersey, was a center of American film production."Rose, Lisa."100 years ago, Fort Lee was the first town to bask in movie magic", The Star-Ledger, April 29, 2012. Accessed December 7, 2013. "Back in 1912, when Hollywood had more cattle than cameras, Fort Lee was the center of the cinematic universe. Icons from the silent era like Mary Pickford, Lionel Barrymore and Lillian Gish crossed the Hudson River via ferry to emote on Fort Lee back lots." Film-making began attracting both capital and an innovative workforce, and when the Kalem Company began using Fort Lee in 1907 as a location for filming in the area, other filmmakers quickly followed. In 1909, a forerunner of Universal Studios, the Champion Film Company, built the first studio.Before Hollywood, There Was Fort Lee, Fort Lee Film Commission. Accessed April 16, 2011. They were quickly followed by others who either built new studios or who leased facilities in Fort Lee. In the 1910s and 1920s, film companies such as the Independent Moving Pictures Company, Peerless Studios, The Solax Company, Éclair Studios, Goldwyn Picture Corporation, American Méliès (Star Films), World Film Company, Biograph Studios, Fox Film Corporation, Pathé Frères, Metro Pictures Corporation, Victor Film Company, and Selznick Pictures Corporation were all making pictures in Fort Lee. Such notables as Mary Pickford got their start at Biograph Studios.Koszarski, Richard. "Fort Lee: The Film Town'', Indiana University Press, 2004. ISBN 9780861966523. Accessed May 27, 2015.Studios and Films, Fort Lee Film Commission. Accessed December 7, 2013. With the offshoot businesses that sprang up to service, the film studios, for nearly two decades Fort Lee experienced unrivaled prosperity. However, just as the development of Fort Lee production facilities were gaining strength, Nestor Studios of Bayonne, New Jersey, built the first studio in Hollywood in 1911.Staff. "Memorial at First Studio Site Will Be Unveiled Today", Los Angeles Times, September 29, 1940. Accessed July 8, 2014. "The site of the Nestor Studios today is the Hollywood home of the Columbia Broadcasting System." Nestor Studios, owned by David and William Horsley, later merged with Universal Studios; and William Horsley's other company, Hollywood Film Laboratory, is now the oldest existing company in Hollywood, now called the Hollywood Digital Laboratory. California's more hospitable and cost-effective climate led to the eventual shift of virtually all filmmaking to the West Coast by the 1930s. At the time, Thomas Edison owned almost all the patents relevant to motion picture production and movie producers on the East Coast acting independently of Edison's Motion Picture Patents Company were often sued or enjoined by Edison and his agents, while movie makers working on the West Coast could work independently of Edison's control.Bishop, Jim. "How movies got moving...", The Lewiston Journal, November 27, 1979. Accessed February 14, 2012. "Movies were unheard if in Hollywood, even in 1900 The flickering shadows were devised in a place called Fort Le, N.J. It had forests, rocks cliffs for the cliff-hangers and the Hudson River. The movie industry had two problems. The weather was unpredictable, and Thomas Edison sued producers who used his invention.... It was not until 1911 that David Horsley moved his Nestor Co. west." Television and film in New Jersey remains an important industry. Since 2000, the Fort Lee Film Commission has been charged with celebrating the history of film in Fort Lee, as well as attracting film and television production companies to the borough.Home page, Fort Lee Film commission. Accessed November 6, 2011. Birthplace of subliminal advertising In 1957, market researcher James Vicary claimed that quickly flashing messages on a movie screen, in Fort Lee, had influenced people to purchase more food and drinks. Vicary coined the term subliminal advertising and formed the Subliminal Projection Company based on a six-week test. Vicary claimed that during the presentation of the movie Picnic he used a tachistoscope to project the words "Drink Coca-Cola" and "Hungry? Eat popcorn" for 1/3000 of a second at five-second intervals. Vicary asserted that during the test, sales of popcorn and Coke in that New Jersey theater increased 57.8% and 18.1% respectively."Does subliminal advertising work?", The Straight Dope, April 22, 1977. Accessed December 7, 2013.'Subliminal Advertising – Claim: An early experiment in subliminal advertising at a movie theater substantially increased sales of popcorn and Coke.", Urban Legends Reference Pages, May 3, 2011. Accessed December 7, 2013. "Vicary's studies were largely forgettable, save for one experiment he conducted at a Ft. Lee, New Jersey movie theater during the summer of 1957.... The result of displaying these imperceptible suggestions – Drink Coca-Cola and Hungry? Eat Popcorn – was an amazing 18.1% increase in Coca-Cola sales, and a whopping 57.8% jump in popcorn purchases.... Eventually Vicary confessed that he had falsified the data from his first experiments, and some critics have since expressed doubts that he actually conducted his infamous Ft. Lee experiment at all." In 1962, Vicary admitted to lying about the experiment and falsifying the results, the story itself being a marketing ploy.Boese, Alex (2002). [https://books.google.com/books?id=q5PaAAAAMAAJ&q=vicary The Museum of Hoaxes: A Collection of Pranks, Stunts, Deceptions, and Other Wonderful Stories Contrived for the Public from the Middle Ages to the New Millennium], E. P. Dutton, ISBN 0-525-94678-0. pp. 137–38.Pratkanis, Anthony R. The Cargo-Cult Science of Subliminal Persuasion, The Skeptical Inquirer, Volume 16.3, Spring 1992. Accessed October 13, 2013. "But there is a seamier side to the 'Eat Popcorn/Drink Coke' study-one that is rarely brought to public attention. In a 1962 interview with Advertising Age, James Vicary announced that the original study was a fabrication intended to increase customers for his failing marketing business." An identical experiment conducted by Henry Link showed no increase in cola or popcorn sales. The claim that the small cinema handled 45,699 visitors in six weeks has led people to believe that Vicary actually did not conduct his experiment at all. George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal The Fort Lee lane closure scandal, also known as Bridgegate, was a major political scandal that occurred as a result of the concerns about the actions taken by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and his staff and his Port Authority appointees to create a traffic jam in Fort Lee when dedicated toll lanes for one of the Fort Lee entrances to the upper level on the George Washington Bridge were reduced from three to one from September 9, 2013, to September 13, 2013.Kleinfeld, N. R. "A Bridge to Scandal: Behind the Fort Lee Ruse", The New York Times, January 12, 2014. Accessed July 8, 2014.Durando, Jessica; and Symons, Michael. The backstory of Christie's 'Bridgegate' scandal, USA Today, January 10, 2014. One of the reasons suggested for these actions was to punish Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, a Democrat, for not supporting the Republican Chris Christie in the 2013 New Jersey gubernatorial election. Another theory was that Christie or his aides sought to punish New Jersey Senate majority leader, Loretta Weinberg, who represented the New Jersey district containing Fort Lee, as retribution for the Democrats' blocking of Christie's reappointment of a New Jersey Supreme Court justice. Christie withdrew his appointee consideration and delivered a speech referring to New Jersey Senate Democrats as "animals" just one day before emails were sent by Christie's aides to the Port Authority requesting the lane closures.Alman, Ashley. "Rachel Maddow Presents New Chris Christie Bridge Scandal Theory", The Huffington Post, January 9, 2014. Accessed July 8, 2014. Demographics Pyong Gap Min. [https://books.google.com/books?id=5PSYZMs8TzEC&pg=PA237 Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues], p. 237. Pine Forge Press, 2006. ISBN 9781412905565. Accessed August 31, 2015. is centered at the intersection of Main Street and Route 67 (Lemoine Avenue).]] At the turn of the 21st century, Fort Lee saw a large Korean migration which has converted much of the town into a large Koreatown, in that many traditional Korean stores and restaurants may be seen in Fort Lee, and the hangul letters of the Korean alphabet are as common as signs in English in parts of the downtown area. This Koreatown is separate from the similar Korean enclave in the adjacent town of Palisades Park. The rapid increase of the Korean population has seen the decline of many other immigrant communities once centered in Fort Lee, notably the Greek and Italian communities, once quite large but now all but extinct. A sizable Russian immigrant community has also sprung up in recent years. In March 2011 about 2,500 Japanese-Americans were living in Edgewater and Fort Lee, the largest concentration of Japanese-Americans in New Jersey.Stirling, Stephen. "Japanese-Americans in Fort Lee, Edgewater describe frantic calls to loved ones in quake's wake", The Star-Ledger, March 11, 2011. Updated March 12, 2011. Accessed December 7, 2013. "According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, about 2,500 Japanese-Americans, the largest concentration in the state, reside in Fort Lee and Edgewater." There were 1,119 Fort Lee residents who filed claims to recover lost money from the Madoff investment scandal, the most from any ZIP code.Efrati, Amir; and Frank, Robert. "Madoff Set to Plead Guilty to 11 Felonies", The Wall Street Journal, March 11, 2009. Accessed July 8, 2014. "1,119 – Number of investors in Fort Lee, N.J., who filed claims to recover lost money. The largest total for any ZIP code." 2010 Census The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $72,341 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,502) and the median family income was $86,489 (+/- $11,977). Males had a median income of $66,015 (+/- $3,526) versus $55,511 (+/- $3,404) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $44,996 (+/- $2,903). About 5.5% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Fort Lee borough, Bergen county, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 14, 2012. 2000 Census As of the 2000 United States Census there were 35,461 people, 16,544 households, and 9,396 families residing in the borough. The population density was 14,001.7 people per square mile (5,411.7/km2). There were 17,446 housing units at an average density of 6,888.5 per square mile (2,662.4/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 62.75% White, 31.43% Asian, 1.73% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.69% from other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.87% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Fort Lee borough, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 5, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Fort Lee borough, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 5, 2013. There were 16,544 households out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.88. In the borough the age distribution of the population shows 17.5% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $58,161, and the median income for a family was $72,140. Males had a median income of $54,730 versus $41,783 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,899. About 5.7% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 Census, 17.18% of Fort Lee's residents identified themselves as being of Korean ancestry, which was the fifth highest in the United States and third highest of any municipality in New Jersey; behind neighboring Palisades Park (36.38%) and Leonia (17.24%) – for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.Korean Communities, EPodunk. Accessed June 28, 2006. In the same census, 5.56% of Fort Lee's residents identified themselves as being of Chinese ancestry,Chinese Communities, EPodunk. Accessed June 28, 2006. and 6.09% of Fort Lee's residents identified themselves as being of Japanese ancestry, the highest of any municipality in New Jersey for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.Japanese Communities, EPodunk. Accessed June 28, 2006. In the 2010 Census, 23.5% of residents (8,318 individuals) identified themselves as being of Korean ancestry, 7.5% (2,653) as Chinese and 3.7% (1,302) as Japanese. Government Local government Fort Lee is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 160. The Borough form of government used by Fort Lee, the most common system used in the state, is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.Cerra, Michael F. "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask", New Jersey State League of Municipalities. Accessed November 30, 2014."Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 6. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 3, 2015. , the Mayor of Fort Lee is Democrat Mark J. Sokolich, whose term of office ends December 31, 2015.Mayor Mark Sokolich, Borough of Fort Lee. Accessed October 13, 2013. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Harvey Sohmer (D, 2015), Joseph L. Cervieri, Jr. (D, 2015), Ila Kasofsky (D, 2016), Armand Pohan (D, 2017), Michael Sargenti (D, 2017) and Peter J. Suh (D, 2016).Governing Body, Borough of Fort Lee. Accessed January 6, 2015.2014 Municipal Data Sheet, Borough of Fort Lee. Accessed July 1, 2014.[http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/4887 2015 County and Municipal Directory], Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed November 10, 2015.Staff. "Election Results: Bergen County 2014 General Election", The Bergen Dispatch, November 4, 2014. Accessed January 6, 2015.Bergen County Statement of Vote BER_20141104_E, Bergen County Clerk, December 16, 2014. Accessed January 6, 2014.Bergen County Statement of Vote General Election 2013, Bergen County Clerk, November 5, 2013. Accessed January 6, 2015.Bergen County Statement of Vote General Election 2012, Bergen County Clerk, November 6, 2012. Accessed December 7, 2013.Bergen County Statement of Vote General Election 2011, Bergen County Clerk, November 17, 2011. Accessed December 7, 2013.Almenas, Maxim. "Fort Lee Council looks to a new year", Fort Lee Suburbanite, January 12, 2012. Accessed July 8, 2014. "After Sokolich was sworn in for a second term, along with councilmen Armand Pohan and Michael Sargenti, Democratic Chairwoman Kay Nest told attendees the Borough was fortunate to have the best mayor and council in the state of New Jersey." Federal, state and county representation Fort Lee is located in the 9th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed January 6, 2013. and is part of New Jersey's 37th state legislative district.Municipalities Grouped by 2011–2020 Legislative Districts, New Jersey Department of State, p. 14. Accessed January 6, 2013.[http://www.lwvnj.org/images/CG/2015_CG.pdf#page=57 2015 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government], p. 57, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015.Districts by Number for 2011–2020, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 6, 2013. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Fort Lee had been in the 38th state legislative district.[http://www.lwvnj.org/images/cg_2011.pdf#page=57 2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government], p. 57, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015. Politics As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 18,382 registered voters in Fort Lee, of which 7,537 (41.0% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,487 (13.5% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 8,350 (45.4% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 8 voters registered to other parties.Voter Registration Summary – Bergen, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 7, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 52.0% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 62.6% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 – State – County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 7, 2013. In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 7,891 votes (60.9% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 4,737 votes (36.6% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 104 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 12,950 ballots cast by the borough's 19,738 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.6% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County).Presidential November 6, 2012 General Election Results – Bergen County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed December 7, 2013.Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast November 6, 2012 General Election Results – Bergen County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed December 7, 2013. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 8,624 votes (61.0% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 5,236 votes (37.0% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 114 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 14,144 ballots cast by the borough's 19,352 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.1% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).2008 Presidential General Election Results: Bergen County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 7, 2013.2008 General Election Results for Fort Lee", The Record (Bergen County). Accessed September 26, 2011. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 8,367 votes (61.1% vs. 51.7% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 5,161 votes (37.7% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 100 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 13,692 ballots cast by the borough's 18,294 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.8% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).2004 Presidential Election: Bergen County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 7, 2013. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 55.3% of the vote (3,735 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 43.5% (2,941 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (78 votes), among the 6,992 ballots cast by the borough's 18,356 registered voters (238 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 5,187 ballots cast (58.8% vs. 48.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 3,191 votes (36.2% vs. 45.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 287 votes (3.3% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 38 votes (0.4% vs. 0.5%), among the 8,817 ballots cast by the borough's 18,854 registered voters, yielding a 46.8% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).2009 Governor: Bergen County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed December 7, 2013. Emergency services and public safety Police Emergency medical services The Fort Lee Volunteer Ambulance Corps, founded in 1971, provides emergency medical services to the Borough of Fort Lee, the George Washington Bridge, and the Palisades Interstate Parkway. One of the largest EMS agencies in the surrounding area, the Fort Lee Volunteer Ambulance Corps operates a fleet of four medium-duty ambulances, one first responder vehicle, and two command vehicles from its headquarters on the corner of Main Street and Anderson Avenue. In 2011, the agency purchased a new state-of-the-art ambulance, designated FLA-1, in order to begin retiring some of its aging ambulances. The agency plans to purchase a second ambulance sometime in 2013. With approximately 50 active members, the corps operates 24 hours a day on weekends and from 7 PM to 6 AM on weekdays, with paid borough employees staffing the ambulances during the day on weekdays. The Fort Lee Volunteer Ambulance Corps responds to approximately 3,400 emergency medical calls annually. The corps is a member agency of the East Bergen Ambulance Association (EBAA) with a standing mutual aid agreement with surrounding East Bergen boroughs.Home page, Fort Lee Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Accessed June 29, 2012. Fire department Fort Lee is protected around the clock by the volunteer firefighters of the Fort Lee Fire Department, which was founded in 1888 when the borough was still a part of Ridgefield Township and operates out of four fire stations.Department History, Fort Lee Fire Department. Accessed March 11, 2012. The Fort Lee Fire Department operates a fire apparatus fleet of six engines, two trucks, one rescue, one squad, two support services units, two support vans, a mobile air unit, four command vehicles and six fire prevention units.Department Apparatus, Fort Lee Fire Department. Accessed March 11, 2012. The Fort Lee Fire Department's volunteer fire companies respond to, on average, approximately 1,800 emergency calls annually.Home page, Fort Lee Fire Department. Accessed March 11, 2012. Education The Fort Lee School District serves public school students in pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's six schools had an enrollment of 3,661 students and 266.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.73:1.District information for Fort Lee School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 1, 2014. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsSchool Data for the Fort Lee School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 1, 2014.) are four elementary schools – School 1School 1, Fort Lee School District. Accessed October 13, 2013. (grades PreK–6; 640 students), School 2School 2, Fort Lee School District. Accessed October 13, 2013. (K–6; 429), School 3School 3, Fort Lee School District. Accessed October 13, 2013. (K–6; 533) and School 4School 4, Fort Lee School District. Accessed October 13, 2013. (K–6; 511) – Lewis F. Cole Middle SchoolLewis F. Cole Middle School, Fort Lee School District. Accessed October 13, 2013. (7&8; 552) and Fort Lee High SchoolFort Lee High School, Fort Lee School District. Accessed October 13, 2013. (9–12; 996).New Jersey School Directory for the Fort Lee School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 13, 2013. During the 2010–11 school year, School #3 was awarded the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive, one of only ten schools statewide to be honored.2010 Blue Ribbon Schools: All Public and Private Schools, United States Department of Education. Accessed April 5, 2011. The school was one of three in Bergen County honored that year.Alex, Patricia. "3 Bergen elementary schools given Blue Ribbon designation", The Record (Bergen County), January 6, 2011. Accessed April 5, 2011. Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.About Us, Bergen County Technical Schools. Accessed December 7, 2013.Admissions, Bergen County Technical Schools. Accessed December 7, 2013. Private schools Private schools in the area include Christ the Teacher (PK–8, 314 students), First Step Day Care Center (PK, 101 students), Fort Lee Education Center (7–12, 78 students), Fort Lee Montessori Pre-School (PK, 49 students), Fort Lee Youth Center Playgroup (PK, 30 students), Futures Best Nursery Academy (PK, 98 students), Green House Preschool and Kindergarten (PK–K, 125 students), Happy Kids Pre-School (PK, 75 students), Hooks Lane School (PK, 54 students), Les Enfants Day Care Center (PK, 60 students), Palisades Pre-School (PK, 108 students), Rainbow School DC (PK, 88 students), and Small World Montessori School (PK, 51 students).Greatschools.net "Fort Lee Private Schools". Accessed May 13, 2009. Christ the Teacher Interparochial School operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.Bergen County Elementary Schools, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed November 6, 2011. Weekend supplementary education The Japanese Weekend School of New Jersey (ニュージャージー補習授業校), a Japanese supplementary educational school, holds its classes at Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus while its offices are in Fort Lee."入学のご案内 entrance." (Archive) Japanese Weekend School of New Jersey. Accessed July 7, 2013. "Japanese Weekend School of NJ ニュージャージー補習授業校事務所 2 Executive Drive, Suite 660, Fort Lee, NJ 07024" It is one of the two weekend Japanese school systems operated by the Japanese Educational Institute of New York (JEI; ニューヨーク日本人教育審議会 Nyūyōku Nihonjin Kyōiku Shingi Kai), a nonprofit organization which also operates two Japanese day schools in the New York City area."学校案内" (Archive). Japanese Educational Institute of New York (ニューヨーク日本人教育審議会). Accessed April 15, 2015. The names of the weekend schools as stated on the pages should be "The Japanese Weekend School of New York" and "The Japanese Weekend School of New Jersey" - note that the Japanese names between the day and weekend schools are different. Economy Companies based in Fort Lee include Bank of New JerseyLocations, Bank of New Jersey. Accessed July 8, 2014. and the American Bank Note Company.Global Operations, American Bank Note Company. Accessed July 8, 2014. Transportation Roads and highways , the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.Bergen County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed December 6, 2013. Fort Lee is served by the Palisades Interstate Parkway, Route 4, Route 5, Route 67, Interstate 95 (the northern terminus of the New Jersey Turnpike), U.S. Route 9W, U.S. Route 1-9, U.S. Route 46, and County Route 505. The George Washington Bridge (signed as I-95/US 1-9/US 46), the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge, crosses the Hudson River from Fort Lee to the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. Many of these roads converge at GWB Plaza, a busy crossroads at the northern end of the borough. Public transportation Fort Lee is served by New Jersey Transit buses 154, 156, 158 and 159 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 171, 175, 178, 181, 182, 186 and 188 lines to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal; and local service on the 751, 753, 755 and 756. , New Jersey Transit. Accessed September 26, 2011. Rockland Coaches provides service along Route 9W on the 9T and 9AT bus lines and on the 14ET to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and on the 9 / 9A to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal.Commuter Routes, Rockland Coaches. Accessed December 11, 2014.Schedule Details Fort Lee, NJ to New York, NY, Rockland Coaches. Accessed December 11, 2014. Saddle River Tours / Ameribus provides service to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station on route 11C.Route 11C Weekday Schedule, Saddle River Tours / Ameribus. Accessed December 11, 2014. China Airlines provides private bus service to John F. Kennedy International Airport from the Citibank to feed its flight to Taipei, Taiwan."Complimentary Bus Service Provided To/From JFK International Airport Terminal One", China Airlines Climate The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fort Lee has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Fort Lee, New Jersey In media * The borough was mentioned in "Weekend Update" segments involving fictional consumer affairs reporter Roseanne Roseannadanna, played by Gilda Radner, who almost always began reading letters by saying, "A Mr. Richard Feder from Fort Lee, New Jersey, writes in and says...." Feder was the brother-in-law of Saturday Night Live writer and segment co-creator Alan Zweibel and an actual Fort Lee resident until he moved to West Nyack, New York in 1981.via Associated Press. "Did you ever want to know who Richard Feder really is?", Lawrence Journal-World, February 10, 1980. Accessed September 7, 2014.Flegenheimer, Matt. "A Mr. Feder, Once of Fort Lee, Chimes In", The New York Times, January 11, 2014. Accessed September 7, 2014. "More than 30 years ago, Mr. Feder, 64, was perhaps Fort Lee’s best-known resident, celebrated by a recurring character played by Gilda Radner on Saturday Night Live. The character, Roseanne Roseannadanna, would begin her segment on 'Weekend Update' by saying, 'A Mr. Richard Feder from Fort Lee, N.J., writes in and says ...'" * In the 1984 film, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, the character played by Jeff Goldblum (Dr. Sidney Zweibel/New Jersey) introduces himself as being from Fort Lee. * In Desperately Seeking Susan, the main character Roberta (played by Rosanna Arquette) is from Fort Lee. A key thematic element of the film is the contrast between Roberta's life in New Jersey and her desire to experience Susan's lifestyle in New York City.Willistein, Paul. "Desperately Seeking Susan' A Tale Of Two Cultures", The Morning Call, April 13, 1985. Accessed January 18, 2015. "The story concerns Roberta (Rosanna Arquette), a Fort Lee, N.J., housewife who, bored with her beauty shop world, follows the newspaper personals romance of Jim (Robert Joy) and Susan (Madonna). In the latest ad, Jim announces he's Desperately Seeking Susan.... The way she makes Roberta's decision to leave behind her Fort Lee life is representative of Seidelman's shorthand style - not unlike French farce and with a storyboard swiftness that recalls Hitchcock." * Martin Scorsese directed several scenes of Goodfellas in Fort Lee.Fort Lee Film Commission. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ViR3b72xkK0C&pg=PA115 Fort Lee: Birthplace of the Motion Picture Industry], p. 115. Arcadia Publishing, 2006. ISBN 9780738545011. Accessed August 31, 2015. "The most interesting film shot in Fort Lee in the modern era was Goodfellas (Warner Brothers, 1990). Director Martin Scorsese, who is a leading film scholar, knows the history of film in Fort Lee and shot key scenes of this film blocks away from locations used by D. W. Griffith in the first classic gangster film, The Musketeers of Pig Alley (Biograph, 1912)."[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099685/locations Filming Locations for Goodfellas], Internet Movie Database. Accessed May 14, 2007. * Chabad of Fort Lee, a synagogue, was used as the filming location for the Queens, New York residence of Detective Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.Kimpton, Roger. "Hollywood on the Palisades", Palisade magazine, Summer 2010; Page 14. Accessed July 8, 2014. * In late March 2011, a group of teenagers reported that they had been detained by the Fort Lee Police Department who left them in a police van parked for 14 hours overnight at headquarters. The detainees, who said that they had no food, water or access to bathrooms during that time, were released after passers-by heard their screams."Police Leave Teens Locked in Van For Hours: 'It was the worst thing that ever possibly happened to me,' one boy says.", WNBC, March 29, 2011. Accessed April 5, 2011. In December 2013, $120,000 was awarded to each of three of the teens as settlement of a lawsuit that alleged that they had been unlawfully detained and that police officers had used racial epithets.Tat, Linh. "3 boys locked in Fort Lee police van overnight will split $360,000", The Record (Bergen County), December 17, 2013. Accessed January 8, 2014. "Three boys who were locked in a Fort Lee police van overnight in freezing temperatures will receive $120,000 each under a settlement reached with the borough, attorneys for the plaintiffs said." * On March 2, 2012, The show Morning Joe on MSNBC aired live from Fort Lee High School. Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski joined Gov. Chris Christie, Rev. Al Sharpton, Michelle Rhee, Harold Ford Jr., Howard Dean, Interim Superintendent of Fort Lee Schools (Steven Engravalle) and other invited guests to discuss New Jersey's education reform."Broadcasting live from Fort Lee High School", MSNBC, March 2, 2012. Accessed March 3, 2012. Notable people People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Fort Lee include: * Vito Albanese (born 1918), politician who represented Bergen County in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1966 to 1968.Sullivan, Ronald. "'Bribe' Bid Linked to Teterboro Bill; Dismemberment Plan Author Reports $50,000 Offer", The New York Times, May 2, 1967. Accessed June 15, 2015. "Then Assemblyman Joseph C. Woodcock Jr., Republican of Cliffside Park, jumped up and challenged Assemblyman Albanese, a Demorcat of Fort Lee." * Albert Anastasia (1902–1957), Mafia boss.Staff. "ANASTASIA HOME SALE; Mansion in Fort Lee Will Be Auctioned Tomorrow", The New York Times, August 24, 1958. Accessed July 8, 2014. "FORT LEE, N. J., Aug. 23 -The late Albert Anastasia's Spanish stucco mansion here will be sold at public auction at 2 o'clock Monday at the office of the Sheriff of Bergen County in Hackensack."Hunt, Thomas. "King of the Brooklyn Docks: Albert Anastasia (1902-1957)", The American Mafia. Accessed July 8, 2014. "In the mid-1940s, Anastasia decided to move away from Brooklyn and follow his longtime friend Joe Adonis to the country setting of Fort Lee, New Jersey. The Brooklyn home held in the name of his wife was sold for $25,000. The Anastasias built a new, 35-room, 5-bathroom house, valued at more than $75,000 at #75 Bluff Road in Fort Lee." * Mickey Appleman (born 1946), professional poker player."Frank closer to big money", The Record (Bergen County), August 3, 2006. "All were eliminated along with pros Mickey Appleman of Fort Lee and Teaneck native David Sklansky." * Allan Arkush (born 1948), film director and television producer known for Rock and Roll High School and the NBC series Heroes.Coutros, Evonne. "Hoboken story, made in Toronto", The Record (Bergen County), March 12, 1995. Accessed June 30, 2010. * Barbara Bennett (1906–1959), silent screen actress and literary representative.Kellow, Brian. [https://books.google.com/books?id=QcoS2DglYzgC&q=fort+lee The Bennetts: An Acting Family], pp. 34-35. University Press of Kentucky, 2004. ISBN 9780813123295. Accessed August 31, 2015. * Constance Bennett (1904–1965), stage and film actress. * Joan Bennett (1910–1990), stage and film actress.via Associated Press. "Joan Bennett dead at 80", The Daily News (Kentucky), December 6, 1990. Accessed June 30, 2012. "The actress, born in Fort Lee, N.J., made her 1928 debut in the Broadway play Jarnegan." * Mike Berniker (1935–2008), record producer.Levin, Jay. "Grammy winner M. Berniker", The Record (Bergen County), September 23, 2008. Accessed December 6, 2013. "Former Fort Lee resident Michael Berniker won nine Grammys and worked with Barbra Streisand, Perry Como, Johnny Mathis and Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, to name a few, during four decades as a record producer." * Balfour Brickner (1926–2005), rabbi emeritus of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in Manhattan.Saxon, Wolfgang. "Balfour Brickner, Activist Reform Rabbi, Dies at 78", The New York Times, September 1, 2005. Accessed October 13, 2013. "Rabbi Balfour Brickner, a voice of Reform Judaism on issues like race and abortion and the rabbi emeritus of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in Manhattan, died on Monday at Mount Sinai Hospital. He was 78 and lived in Fort Lee, N.J., and Stockbridge, Mass." * Dr. Joyce Brothers (1927–2013), psychologist, television personality.Staff. "Ft. Lee's Dr. Brothers to be honored", The Record (Bergen County), December 3, 2006. "But right now, she's getting ready for a photo shoot at her spacious Fort Lee co-op."Fox, Margalit. "Dr. Joyce Brothers, On-Air Psychologist Who Made TV House Calls, Dies at 85", The New York Times, May 13, 2013. Accessed October 13, 2013. "Joyce Brothers, a former academic psychologist who, long before Drs. Ruth, Phil and Laura, was counseling millions over the airwaves, died on Monday at her home in Fort Lee, N.J. She was 85." * Charlie Callas (1924–2011), comedian and actor.Comedian Charlie Callas Dead At 86, NY1 News, January 29, 2011. "NY1 VIDEO: One-time Fort Lee resident and American comedian Charlie Callas died Wednesday." * Cam'ron (born 1976), rapper."It's not easy being pink: Cameron Giles, better known as Cam'ron, triggered the pink fad. Now he wants to change color and cash in as a trendsetter", Taipei Times, October 18, 2004. Accessed May 13, 2007. "In a gated condominium community in Fort Lee, New Jersey, the dense shrubbery suggests a botanical garden more than a residential one.... That is how you can tell the house of Cameron Giles. For the better part of two years, pink has been the dominant color in the life of Giles, a rapper who performs as Cam'ron." * Jay Chiat (1931–2002), advertising agency executive.The Last Adman, New York (magazine), April 8, 2002. "When I started to get friendly with Jay, he couldn't explain either, at least not with any clear logic, how he went from being a Jewish kid from the Bronx and Fort Lee, New Jersey, to ending up in the agency business." * Liz Claman (born 1963), Fox Business Network anchor.Spelling, Ian. "From Bulls & Bears to Bergen: Fox Business Network anchor Liz Claman loves coming home to Edgewater", (201) magazine, October 2009. Accessed October 12, 2009. "I love Edgewater. I lived in Fort Lee and jogged into the Edgewater Colony, and I thought 'One day, I'd love to live here.'" * Haskell Cohen (1914–2000), public relations director of National Basketball Association from 1950 to 1969, known as creator of NBA All-Star Game.Goldstein, Richard. "Haskell Cohen, 86, Publicist; Created N.B.A. All-Star Game", The New York Times, July 3, 2000. Accessed December 5, 2013. "Haskell Cohen, a longtime publicity director for the National Basketball Association, who helped create the league's All-Star Game – a once-modest affair that has become an annual weekend spectacle – died last Wednesday at his home in Fort Lee, N.J." * Émile Cohl (1857–1938), French caricaturist, cartoonist, and animator. * Celia Cruz (1925–2003), Cuban-born salsa singer.Pareles, Jon. "Celia Cruz, Petite Powerhouse of Latin Music, Dies at 77", The New York Times, July 17, 2003. Accessed July 8, 2014. "Celia Cruz, the Cuban singer who became the queen of Latin music, died yesterday at her home in Fort Lee, N.J." * Morton Downey, Jr. (1932–2001), singer, songwriter, radio and TV personality. host.Critics Say His Mouth Needs Washing, but Morton Downey's Talk Show Is a Screaming Hit, People Magazine, April 11, 1988. ""I'm me," says Mort endearingly, as he sits in his Fort Lee, N.J., condo, sipping coffee and stubbing out the sixth of 80 cigarettes he will smoke this day." * Bill Evans (1929–1980), jazz pianist and composer.Pettinger, Pete. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Z7Ema0hvga8C&q=%22fort+lee%22 Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings], pp. 274, 284. Yale University Press, 2002. ISBN 9780300097276. Accessed September 7, 2014.Wilson, John S. "Bill Evans, Jazz Pianist Praised For Lyricism and Structure, Dies; 'In Touch With His Feelings' Trouble With Scales", The New York Times, September 17, 1980. Accessed June 30, 2009. "Mr. Evans, who lived in Fort Lee, N.J., toured in Europe this summer." * Phil Foster (1913–1985), comedian and actor, played Frank De Fazio in Laverne & Shirley.Kraushar, Jonathan P. "Bergen: Comics' Haven", The New York Times, March 21, 1976. Accessed December 17, 2012. "In the view of Phil Foster, a star of the television comedy Laverne and Shirley, there is no such thing as New Jersey humor. If it exists, said Mr. Foster, who lives in Fort Lee, it is like Staten Island humor – that is, simplay a question of speaking slower." * Buddy Hackett (1924–2003), comedian and actor."Comedian buys home; Buddy Hackett New Owner of Anastasia House in Fort Lee", The New York Times, August 30, 1958. "Buddy Hackett is the owner of Albert Anastasia's Spanish stucco home on the edge of the Palisades in Fort Lee." * Jay-Z (born 1969), rapper.Barboza, Craigh. "Friend Or foe?", USA Weekend, January 28, 2001. "Jay-Z, himself, has a two-floor penthouse in Fort Lee, N.J., with a view of Manhattan."Ross, Barbara; Singleton, Don; Santiago, Roberto; and Marzulli, John. "Jay-Z accused of knifing rival at party", Daily News (New York), December 4, 1999. Accessed January 5, 2012. "all, Jay-Z, 29, who now lives in Fort Lee, N.J., was charged with two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault. Posner set a return date for Jan. 31." * Ron Johnson (born 1947), former NFL running back for the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants.Harvin, Al. "An Offseason Game; New Jersey Sports", The New York Times, January 12, 1973. Accessed November 16, 2008. "Some of the other Jersey residents on the team, according to Davis, are Bob Tucker, the New York Giants' tight end from Lincroft; Phil Villapiano, Oakland Raider linebacker from Ocean Township, and Ron Johnson, Giant running back, now a resident of Fort Lee." * Ali Khatami (born 1953), former Iranian Presidential Chief of Staff.Sciolino, Elaine. "Beneath the turban: A special report.; Mullah Who Charmed Iran Is Struggling to Change It", The New York Times, February 1, 1998. Accessed July 8, 2014. "Still, the Khatami children were encouraged to earn their own money, said Ali Khatami, 44, the President's brother, a businessman who lived in Fort Lee, N.J., for a year and a half while he was getting his master's degree in industrial engineering." * Samm Levine (born 1982), actor on Freaks and Geeks.Aushenker, Michael. "Super Sunday tallies up a record $5,165,961 in contributions for United Jewish Fund", The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, March 3, 2000. Accessed December 7, 2013. "Levine, who was present at the opening of Valley Alliance's Milken Gym, told The Journal that Super Sunday reminded him of the community spirit of his home town – Fort Lee, New Jersey." * Eddie Mannix (1891–1963), film studio executive at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.Meyers, Tom. "From the Archives: A Main Street Marquee and a Mogul – Fort Lee and the MGM Connection; Fort Lee's Metro Theatre on Main Street and the MGM Connection", FortLeePatch, March 2, 2013. Accessed December 6, 2013. "According to Fort Lee VFW Commander Jim Viola, the Fort Lee Theatre name changed in the 1930s to the Metro. This was to honor a Fort Lee boy who made good in Hollywood, Eddie Mannix." * D. Bennett Mazur (c. 1925–1994), member of the New Jersey General Assembly.Sullivan, Joseph F. "D. Bennett Mazur, a Professor And New Jersey Legislator, 69", The New York Times, October 13, 1994. Accessed February 14, 2012. "He began his political career as a tenant activist after moving to Fort Lee a few years after the war. He served on the Bergen County Board of Freeholders from 1965 to 1967 and again from 1975 to 1980 before winning his first election to the State Assembly the following year." * Pierre McGuire (born 1961), ice hockey analyst and former NHL coach and scout.Czerwinski, Mark J. "Nice and Tough -- Whalers' Mcguire Upbeat Yet Upfront", The Record (Bergen County), January 30, 2003. Accessed July 8, 2014. * Aline Brosh McKenna (born 1967), screenwriter who wrote the scripts for The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses.Salemi, Vicki. 'Glorifying Jersey; A noted Hollywood screenwriter uses her Jersey roots to help inform her storytelling.", New Jersey Monthly, December 13, 2010. Accessed December 6, 2013. "'It’s definitely part of who I am,' says the Los Angeles-based scribe, who was born in France and moved with her family to Fort Lee when she was 6 months old." * Bill O'Reilly (born 1949), television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator, host of The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News Channel.Kitman, Marvin. [https://books.google.com/books?id=h_njnLUvjvQC&pg=PA13 The Man Who Would Not Shut Up: The Rise of Bill O'Reilly], p. 13. Macmillan, 2008. ISBN 9780312385866. Accessed December 6, 2013. ""Billy," as he was called to differentiate Bill Junior from Bill Senior, spent his first two years in a crowded apartment across the river in Fort Lee, New Jersey." * George Price (1901–1995), cartoonist best known for his work for The New Yorker.Collins, Glenn. "George Price, 93, Cartoonist of Oddities, Dies", The New York Times, January 14, 1995. Accessed December 6, 2013. "Mr. Price was born on June 9, 1901, in Coytesville, N.J., in the borough of Fort Lee." * Richard Reines, recording industry executive, co-owner of Drive-Thru Records.LaGorce, Tammy. "Finding Emo", The New York Times, August 14, 2005. Accessed December 6, 2013. "'We came back, because as label owners we couldn't be away from it,' said Mr. Reines, who is from Fort Lee." * Freddie Roman (born 1937), comedian, New York Friars' Club notable.Strauss, Robert. "In person; In a Club Full of Comics, The King Is Also a Jester", The New York Times, December 11, 2005. Accessed June 30, 2012. "Three or four times a week, Mr. Roman travels into Manhattan from his house in Fort Lee, where he has lived for six years, and holds court in one of the dining rooms at the Friars Club, formerly a doctor's town house on East 55th Street." * Joe Rosario (born 1959), actor, writer, director.Kim, Jennifer. "Fort Lee man continues film legacy", Fort Lee Suburbanite, October 16, 2009. Accessed September 26, 2011. "Though Rosario's profile in the film industry is steadily rising and Hollywood is on his horizon, he hasn't forgotten about his birthplace in Fort Lee. 'The cool thing about living in Fort Lee is living so close to New York City,' said Rosario." * Murray Sabrin (born 1946), college professor and Libertarian Party / Republican Party politician. , Murray Sabrin. Accessed December 6, 2013. "He lives with his wife of 39 years, Florence, in Ft. Lee, New Jersey." * August Semmendinger (1820-1885), photographic inventor.Semmendinger, Paul and Ryan. "August Semmendinger Manufacturer of Photographic Apparatus", Historic Camera History Librarium, June 17, 2012. Accessed June 15, 2015. "By this point, August Semmendinger had moved to Fort Lee, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey." * Eva Shain (c. 1918–1999), boxing judge, one of first female judges in New York, first woman to judge a heavyweight championship bout (1977 fight between Muhammad Ali and Earnie Shavers).Goldstein, Richard. "Eva Shain, 81, a Pioneering Boxing Judge", The New York Times, August 23, 1999. Accessed December 6, 2013. "Eva Shain, the first woman to serve as a judge at a heavyweight championship boxing match when she was assigned to the Muhammad Ali-Earnie Shavers bout at Madison Square Garden in 1977, died Thursday at Englewood (N.J.) Hospital and Medical Center. Mrs. Shain, who lived in Fort Lee, N.J., was 81." * Anton Sikharulidze (born 1976), Olympic gold medal-winning pairs figure skater.Araton, Harvey. "Sports of The Times; Golden Windfall for the Russians", The New York Times, February 17, 2002. Accessed February 14, 2012. "At 25, Anton Sikharulidze is already a citizen of the world, more than familiar with the culture of the West. He lived in Fort Lee, N.J., for two years, trained in Hackensack." * Phoebe Snow (1950–2011), singer.Friedman, Roger. "Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Likely Guests at Cannes", Fox News, March 22, 2007. Accessed July 8, 2014. "Phoebe and Valerie lived in a small apartment in Fort Lee." * Alfonso Soriano (born 1976), outfielder who plays for the New York Yankees.Borden, Sam. "Soriano 'Tired' Of Trade Talk", Daily News (New York), June 17, 2006. Accessed July 8, 2014. "The Yankees have made inquiries about Soriano's availability but have been turned off by the Nationals' requests for top pitching prospect Phil Hughes or Chien-Ming Wang. Soriano, who still maintains the Fort Lee, N.J., apartment he had during his tenure in the Bronx, seemed lukewarm about the possibility of returning to the Yankees." * Darryl Strawberry (born 1962), Major League Baseball outfielder who played for New York Mets, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.Darryl Strawberry leaves hospital after cancer surgery, CNN.com, October 16, 1998. "He will convalesce at his home in Fort Lee, New Jersey." * Lyle Stuart (1922–2006), independent publisher of controversial books.Ramirez, Anthony. "Lyle Stuart, Publisher of Renegade Titles, Dies at 83", The New York Times, June 26, 2006. Accessed November 4, 2007. "He was 83 and lived in Fort Lee, N.J." * James Van Fleet (1892–1992), United States Army general.James Alward Van Fleet, Arlington National Cemetery. Accessed December 6, 2013 ."Van Fleet was born in Coytesville, New Jersey, March 19, 1892, but raised in Florida and adopted it as his home." * Chien-Ming Wang (born 1980), pitcher for the Washington Nationals.Chen, Albert. "Chien-Ming Wang Has A Secret", Sports Illustrated, April 15, 2008. Accessed February 14, 2012. "During the baseball season Chien-Ming and his wife, Chia-Ling, whom he met in his first year of college and married in December 2003, live in a modest three-bedroom house in Fort Lee, N.J." * Glen Zipper (born 1974), writer, film producer and former New Jersey assistant state prosecutor known for the Academy Award-winning film Undefeated.Shkolnikova, Svetlana. "Fort Lee natives win big at Academy Awards", Fort Lee Suburbanite, March 16, 2012. Accessed July 8, 2014. "Glen Zipper stands with his fellow crewmembers for the football documentary 'Undefeated,' which took the Oscar for Best Documentary at this year's Academy Awards. He and his brother Ralph grew up in Fort Lee, and worked together on the film. Glen, who worked as a criminal prosecutor in Hudson County for three years." Bergen County Shakespeare Festival Since 2007, the Hudson Shakespeare Company has brought their Shakespeare in the Park touring shows to Fort Lee in "Shakespeare Tuesdays". The group now performs regularly at Monument Park (1588 Palisade Avenue, next to the Fort Lee Museum) with 2 Tuesday shows per month for each month of the summer. The festival also tours similar dates in Hackensack. See also * Fort Lee lane closure controversy * List of tallest buildings in Fort Lee * Koreatown, Palisades Park * List of U.S. cities with significant Korean-American populations Sources * Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties) prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958. * Clayton, W. Woodford; and Nelson, William. [https://archive.org/details/historyofbergen00clay History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men.] Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1882. * Harvey, Cornelius Burnham (ed.), [https://archive.org/details/genealogicalhist00harv Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey.] New York: New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Co., 1900. * Van Valen, James M. [https://archive.org/details/historybergenco00valegoog History of Bergen County, New Jersey.] New York: New Jersey Publishing and Engraving Co., 1900. * Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858–1942, [https://books.google.com/books?id=As8wAQAAMAAJ History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923], Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1923. References External links * Borough of Fort Lee web site * Fort Lee Police Department * Fort Lee Volunteer Fire Department * Fort Lee Volunteer Ambulance Corps * Fort Lee School District * * School Data for the Fort Lee School District, National Center for Education Statistics * Fort Lee Online community web site * Fort Lee Film Commission web site * An enlarged view of road jurisdiction at the Fort Lee approaches to the George Washington Bridge Category:Fort Lee, New Jersey Category:1904 establishments in New Jersey Category:Borough form of New Jersey government Category:Boroughs in Bergen County, New Jersey Lee Category:Settlements established in 1904 Category:Settlements on the Hudson River